JoeFromPA Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 KRB - An open-minded question here: I've always preferred to run my all-seasons in the winter with higher pressure (actually, just year round) to maintain a narrower contact patch when driving in a straight line than potentially with "low" tire pressure. The idea being that more weight on less tire contact patch = increased traction on snowy, slushy, and standing water surfaces. Now I realize that on surfaces like dry, sand, ice, & mud you want a wider contact patch for weight distribution and to maximize the available traction on those surfaces. But those aren't the surfaces I'm concerned with in the winter running all-seasons (i.e. a wider contact patch or narrower isn't going to help me on ice, and I've got enough dry traction already) Love to hear your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNVAR Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I'm going to put my 2 cents in. In some situations (getting going from a complete stop), you will most definitely benefit from running lower tire pressure. The lower tire pressure allows the rubber to significantly flex and better dig into/grip the snow and slush. When I mean low tire pressure though, I mean REALLY low tire pressure as in down to 20 PSI. After you get unstuck, you MUST reinflate your tires. Therefore, I don't think the above really applies THAT much to our cars. I think it's pretty difficult to get yourselves stuck in the snow with AWD. In any other situation, taller sidewall and resultant narrower contact patch will allow you to 'cut' through the snow/slush better. Also, it is unsafe to run low tire pressure at high speed for a few reasons, almost all of which is covered in TireRack's tech center. (Increased chance of tire blowout, significantly increased chance of hydroplaning, reduced steering responsiveness, increased rolling resistance, higher temperatures, etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimGinCentralNJ Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Why so many people think ultra high pressure in the tire is always better is beyond me. You don't see sandrails running 35 psi in their tires for a reason. ...yeah, but at the same time the goal of a winter tire isn't to have you surfing along on top of the snow like a sand rail does in sand, right? Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KartRacerBoy Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Well I guess I'm a dupe. I'll go with TireRack's pressure recommendations, which are opposite to mine. http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=168& I know that rally cars in snow/ice run narrow tires, but I didn't guess that pressures would be higher. Doh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Just purchase a set of contiextremecontact DWS two days ago. I was testing in the icy snow, but was not getting the traction as I hope for. Discount tire must have my pressure set to 32 psi. I will check the tire pressure tomorrow. We put these on the wife's Scion Tc, and after they scrubbed in a bit traction and road noise were noticeably better. They have done well in the snow we have driven the car in thus far, far better than the stock Yokohama's that were living on it before. For tire pressure I would just run the manufacturer recomended tire pressure, maybe just a few pounds higher but nothing silly. The Conti-DWS is a good tire compared to it's competitors, in fact in the snow and in the wet it seems markedly superior under head to head testing. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=124 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Oh and for snow performance I can heartily recommend these for anyone with a light truck or SUV: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Wrangler+SilentArmor Just had them put on the Tundra on Tuesday, and thus far they have been outstanding. I've never had a tire that would dig into hard packed snow and stop like these will. Even jabbing the brakes in an intentionally sloppy ham fisted manner will barely get ABS to pulse. Cornering stability in snow is also outstanding, goodbye understeer.... good riddance. Of course with 381hp and 401lb-ft at my disposal spinning up the rears is still easy in the snow. However, unlike the craptastic BF Goodrich 'Rugged' Trails that were on up until Tuesday; spinning the rear wheels is no longer an all the time proposition. These Silent Armors are so good I really probably don't even need 4 Wheel drive. Of course it also helps that I already had to bulkhead 320lbs of rock salt in the bed while the BFG's were still on, so I have some traction enhancing weight over the rear axle and the Goodyears are also getting that benefit too. Overall I am quite pleased with my purchase. The tires balanced easily, and what shocks me is how quiet they are for an all terrain tire. They're quieter than the highway tire I replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithk831 Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 My thoughts: Conti ExtremeContact DWS /thread :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KartRacerBoy Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 My thoughts: Conti ExtremeContact DWS /thread :-) From what I've read, these are the best A/S in the snow but if like performance driving and you only have occasional snow, these aren't the choice. They've got SOFT sidewalls that make driving in the dry less than inspiring. So it depends what you want. If you an all season that isn't a pantywaist in the dry, get something else. If you can't afford two sets of tires (dedicated snow and summer tires) and you have a lot of snow, get these tires. It depends on your needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdoggydog Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 From what I've read, these are the best A/S in the snow but if like performance driving and you only have occasional snow, these aren't the choice. They've got SOFT sidewalls that make driving in the dry less than inspiring. So it depends what you want. If you an all season that isn't a pantywaist in the dry, get something else. If you can't afford two sets of tires (dedicated snow and summer tires) and you have a lot of snow, get these tires. It depends on your needs. EXACTLY! That's why I skipped over the Contis and picked up Goodyear Eagle GTs. Amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeytl Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 After driving on my contiextremecontact dws for about 400 miles now, I'm really starting to like the traction in the dry and snow. Haven't got the chance to drive it in the rain yet. It definitely grips to the ground alot more now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzles80 Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 After driving on my contiextremecontact dws for about 400 miles now, I'm really starting to like the traction in the dry and snow. Haven't got the chance to drive it in the rain yet. It definitely grips to the ground alot more now. What do you think of the noise level? Mine seem a little loud now(only 100 miles so far), just wondering if you have had a similar issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithk831 Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 What do you think of the noise level? Mine seem a little loud now(only 100 miles so far), just wondering if you have had a similar issue. Mine are quieter than my BFG g-force sports :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeytl Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 I did experience a slight noise the first 200 miles, but now my extemecontact dws is pretty quiet. It really doesn't bother me much anyways, especially with the music on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeytl Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Just an update on my conticontact extreme dws. I've got about 600 miles on the tires now and feel that I'm not getting good traction with the tires as expected. I had a few slips on slow turns and sliding too far when pressing brake in the snow. My Legend with blizzak handles so much better in the snow in all areas. My wife doesn't even want to drive the Legacy if there's snow and ice outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTTuner Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Just an update on my conticontact extreme dws. I've got about 600 miles on the tires now and feel that I'm not getting good traction with the tires as expected. I had a few slips on slow turns and sliding too far when pressing brake in the snow. My Legend with blizzak handles so much better in the snow in all areas. My wife doesn't even want to drive the Legacy if there's snow and ice outside. I don't think that is a fair comparison because the Blizzak is a dedicated snow tire. Did you buy the new Extremes or the old version? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naimouasta Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 cool! in for more thoughts/reviews on the DWS. i was just looking at these tirerack the other day and reviews are pretty decent. pretty cheap too, even cheaper than ASX's, $125 vs $131 in 235/40/18, so probably good bang for the buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeytl Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 I've got the new ones that just came out...extremecontact dws. I haven't got the chance to test it out in the rain yet. But, it handles pretty well on dry pavement when it comes to quick turns and cornering. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ExtremeContact+DWS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzles80 Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Mine have gotten a lot quieter than they were new(they're at about 500 miles now) . I am only hearing wind noise which is a big change from my old nittos. I haven't driven in any rain or snow yet, but we are expecting 2-4 inches of snow tonight and more this weekend, so since I am through the "break-in" period, it should be a good test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadvw Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Haven't had a chance to try 'em in the snow, but for dry/wet driving, my Michelin Pilot A/S have been awesome! 15K miles and still have lots of tread. Sure, weren't cheap, but, based on the 2 sets of Pilots I've had so far (Pilot Alpin and now Pilot A/S), Pilots are some of the best tires out there.. Note: NOT the regular Michelin Alpin. Those sucked on my gti16v. But, the Pilot Alpins ROCKED my Corrado. Which is why I gave the A/S a try in the first place, and I'm happy so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsr94 Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 im snowed in here Maryland, so far 22 inches. i've had ASX for awhile now. i drove last night when it started to snow hard. the snow was right to my bumper. but the ASX got me home. a few years a go when i had an integra i had the blizzak, and they're great snow tires. i did spin out on them once but was able to get out of trouble. its a hard comparing a FWD with snow tires and AWD all seasons. i would love to see how my legacy would do with blizzak against 22 inches of snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsr94 Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 also tirerack has the conti extreme contact DWS rated as 8.7 and the kuhmo ASX 7.4 i would love to try the DWS but i just replaced 2 new tires with the ASX. too cheap to order 4 new tires maybe next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadvw Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 also tirerack has the conti extreme contact DWS rated as 8.7 and the kuhmo ASX 7.4 i would love to try the DWS but i just replaced 2 new tires with the ASX. too cheap to order 4 new tires maybe next year For your LGT? You DO know that you need to replace all 4 tires at the same time for AWD, right? Only replacing 2, unless the 2 that are staying are 90% new, will mess with your front/rear diff/clutch and could SERIOUSLY mess up your drivetrain. Or so I've heard.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KartRacerBoy Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 Yup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsr94 Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 I DIDN'T know that....not that serious man...haha seriously didn't. just figure since its the same tread that i was ok. i had a flat in one of my tires and so i bought a new one to change it and an extra new tire for a spare. the tire shop didn't say anything. not blaming him. but i looked at my other tires and the tread are pretty low. throw in this blizzard and my good buddies at Legacygt.com for the great advice, i'm getting 2 new ASX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 ^^ Check this Subaru link on tire sizing for performance and longevity of your AWD system. Bottom line - if you have more than 1/4" rotational difference side-to-side or front-to-rear, then you're compromising your AWD system (item #4 in the link). Same goes if you run equal tire pressures F-to-R and don't maintain the higher front bias. - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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